Electric igniting device for explosion-engines.



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VINCENT G. APPLE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DAYTON ELECTRICALMANUFACTURING COB'IPANY, A CORPORATION OF OIIIO.

ELECTRlC IGNlTlNG D-EVlCE FOR EXPLOSION-ENGINES.

SPEGCATION for; ing' part Of Letters Patent NO. 696,297, dated March 25,1902.

Applfcation tiled July 25, 1900. Serial No. 24,760. (No model.)

To (LZ-Z 7071/0727/ vit mrty/ concern/f .Beitknown that LVINCENT G.ArrLE,aciti zen of the United States, residing at Dayton, county oflilontgomery, and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forProducing and Maintaining an Electric Spark for Igniting Devices; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription,

1o such as will enable persons skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby a current ofelectricity may be generated, and which may be used for producing anigniting-spark Within a cylinder of a gas-engine, and which may beevolved from any well-known source, preferably a dynamo driven by thesaid engine. The electrometive force of the said source of current will2o be greatly increased at the instant and during the time when thecircuit therefrom is being opened at the terminals of the sparkingdevice, and thereby the potential difference existing between the saidterminals at the time when they are so separated will continue toincrease Within a given limit during the time such terminals are beingmechanically separated until the current is reduced practically to zero.

3o The invention consists, substantially, in the organizations andcombinations of devices and parts, as will be more fully hereinafter setforth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and iinally pointed out inthe appended claims.

In carrying my invention into practical operation I may make use of anordinary dynamo, which may be either shunt wound, series wound, orcompound wound. The latter consists in being partially shunt andpartially series wound, or it may be a magnetodynamo, wherein the fieldsare derived from a permanent magnet. To the shaft of this dynamo lattach a friction speed-regulator,

such as described and claimed in my application iiled August 1G, 1900,Serial No. 26,999, and shown in Fig. 3 of this application, which isdesigned to exert a given adjustable friction between the membersthereof in a ratio 5o inversely to the speed of the armature, to whichthe friction device is attached. This friction speedregulator ispreferably provided with a gear-wheel or a pulley, by which it isconnected to the revolving part of the engine. The driving member of theregulator-that is, that portion thereof which is more or less positivelyconnected with the revolving portion of the engine-is connected to thedriven member of said regulator (the latter is positively connected tothe armature 6o of the dynamo) by means of a variable friction contact.The driving eftect of this ccntact will be decreased as the speed of thearmature is increased, or, in other words, the centrifugal effect of thearmature at a high velocity will serve to reduce the frictionalcoefticient that would otherwise exist between the two members of thesaid regulator. The dynamo is wound so as to produce current of adesired value at a relatively low 7o number of revolutions of itsarmature with reference to the number of revolutions that it would runif positively connected to the engine when the engine is running at itsfull speed.

For the purpose of making my invention more clearly understood I willillustrate in the following manner: Suppose that the dynamo is wound sothat it will produce the desired current for making the spark -within8o. the cylinder of a gas-engine when the armature thereof is running ata speed of, say, one thousand revolutions per minute. Suppose also thatthe normal speed ofthe engine is threehundredrevolutions per minute.Then I will gear the dynamo to the engine so that the dynamo armaturewill be rotated one thousand revolutions, its normal speed when theengine is running not to exceed iifty revolutions per minute-that is tosay, if: the dy- 9o namo were' positively connected to the enginewithout the intermediary speed-governor. 'When the engine is runningfifty revolutions the armature will be driven one thousand revolutionsper minute, and the desired current required for the sparking devicewill be generated by the dynamo. Suppose now that the dynamo willgenerate a current at this speed, say, of one ampere. If the elements ofthe friction-clutch are properly adjusted with roo reference to thespeed and current desired the current that the dynamo will generate atany time will not-exceed inv value one ampere even when the engineisrunning atmore than fifty revolutions per minute or at its normal rateof speed of three hundred revolutions per minute, the difference in -thetwo speeds being accounted for by the slipl between the two members ofthe frictionclutch. In other words, the dynamo'rnay be' maintained on ashort circuit for an indefinite time without danger of the currentincreasing to a point that will burn or destroy the Winding thereof.

When the dynamo is producing a current of, say, one ampere in a circuitof a given resistance, fthere will be a speed at which there is verylittle, if any, slip between the two members ofthe speed-controllingdevice; but when the speed of the driving member is increased there willbe constant slipping between the rapidly-revolving pulley of thespeed-controller and the relatively slowly revolving dynamo-shaftcarrying the two members of the controller, so that when the current isinterrupted by breaking the circuit,- the load being thereby removedfrom the dynamo,tl1e force previously insuflicieut to drive `the dynamoat the same speed as the pulley of the controller will at once cause thedynamo to increase in speed, approaching an d probably equaling Ithespeed of the pulley, and. the increased speed of the dynamo will producean electromotive force sufficient to maintain a current across the gapresulting from the separated electrodes of the igniting device withinthe cylinder of the engine. At such times the current will be decreasedin value in some proportion as the electromotive force is increased inthe manner described.

'My system for operating a dynamo for producing the results desiredcontains two useful features.. The rst is that of increasing theelectromotive force as the igniter-cireuit is being opened for thepurpose of producing the spark and proportionately increasing theelectromotive force as the space between the electrodes is increased;second, the ease with which the desired current for the purpose ofmaking the spark is produced when the engine is operating at a very lowrate of speed. The dynamo may be revolved sufliciently fast by movingthe fly-wheel by hand for a part of a revolution, by means of which therate of speed may be easily made equal to that of the engine when theengine is runningat about one-sixth of its normal speed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows an engine of the classdescribed, a dynamo belted thereto, a friction-clutch or speed regulatoron the end of the said dynamo-shaft, an electric circuit from the saiddynamo to the sparking or igniting device in the cylinder ofthe saidengine. view of the clutch or regulator. side elevation of the same.

In all of the views the same letters of ref- Fig. 3 is a erence are usedto indicate similar parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan` A is an engine provided with a wheel fordriving the dynamo. Y a is abelt passing over the said wheel and thepulley of the clutch or regulator, which is connected to the shaftof thedynamo.v Y v a. isfone of the electrodes of the circuitbreaking ignitingdeviceV withinr the cylinder ofthe engine. a2is a similar electrodeinsulated from the metal portion ofthe engine.-

Betweenthese two electrodes the spark isr portion of the clutch. Notchedarmvcis pivoted to the bar c at c3, and in a like manner y the-notchedarm c2 ispivoted to the opposite end of the same bar at c4.Friction-shoes c and c6 are pivoted to the respective arms c' and c2 atc7 and e8 in the manner shown. These friction-shoes have bearings uponthe frictionrim ci) of the pulley. Springs C10 and c hold thefriction-shoes 'c5 and c6 in contact with the rim c and cause a frictioncontact between the said shoes and rim, whereb) the power to drive thearmature may be transmitted from the pulley to the shaft of thearmature.

012 is a flange of the pulley, which is an integral part of the :rim cand present-s an effective means for carrying oit any heat that may beevolved by the friction of the shoes 4 on the said rim. The iiange c12presents considerable surface tothe air when the pulley is beingrevolved for the purpose of dispersng the heat.

The mode of operation will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription.

The dynamo may be belted to the engine in the manner shown in Fig. lafter their relative speeds and the currentv to be produced have beendetermined in the manner heretofore described.

When the armature of the dynamo is not in motion, the frictional contactbetween the shoes c5 and cG and the rim o9 ofthe pulley c are at theirmaximum.' The springs c10 c11 are the means for holding the said shoesin contact with the said rim.

When the armature begins to revolve, the centrifugal motion tends tocause the shoes c5 and o6 to fly o at a tangent, controlled by thepivoted levers or arms cand c2. This eifect decreases the power ofthesprings to hold the shoes in contact with the rims, and thefriction-.driving coeicient is thereby decreased. The tension of thesprings may be adjusted by placing them in the notches 013 and o, sothat the critical speed may be correspondingly varied.

The tension of the springs 01 and c11 or equiva- IOO IIO

lent devices may be adjusted by a series of trials or by any othermethod found expedient until the value of the current, the speed of thedynamo, and speed-regulator may be satisfactorily arranged, after whichthe igniting circuit-breaking device is connected to the dynamo in theusual manner.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and themanner of carrying the same into practical operation, what I claim asnew and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent ot' the United States, is-

l. A means for making and maintaining an electric spark for ignitingdevices, within the cylinder of a gas-engine, which consists of adynamo, a circuit-opening device within said cylinder, a circuitconnecting said device to said dynamo, a means for driving said dynamoby said engine, and a centrifugal device associated with said dynamo,adapted to increase the electr-emotive force simultaneously with theseparation of the terminals of said sparking device, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. A means for making and maintaining an electric spark for ignitingdevices, within the cylinder of a gas-engine, which consists of adynamo, a circuit-opening device within said cylinder, a circuitconnecting said device to said dynamo, a means for driving said dynamoby said engine, and a centrifugal speedcontrolling` device adapted toincrease the speed of said dynamo to increase the electromotive forcethereof simultaneously with the separation of the terminals of saidsparking device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereot` I have signed this specification, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 17th day of July, A. D. 1900.

VINCENT G. APPLE.

Witnesses:

H. L. WARNER, Il. F. APPLE.

